if you fall, I fall too
by she began to dance
Summary: He doesn't notice her fall, not yet, but he feels something shift in the earth, and there's a sudden breeze around him, as if all of the power she withheld just vanished, and it's telling him that he better move fast.
1. One

If there is anything Bolin hates right now, it is Jinora's scream.

The loud, glass-shattering screech she sends flying through the air toward him, (like she has done so many times on her glider, drifting through the sky and landing right into his arms) before falling limp onto the ground.

The feeling, her feet landing soundlessly on the concrete, her smile, calm and radiant as ever, is reminiscent, but the air around him feels like a dead-weight.

He doesn't notice her fall, not yet, but he feels _something_ shift in the earth, and there's a sudden breeze around him, as if all of the power she withheld just vanished, and it's telling him that he better move fast.

He breaks free easily from the two Equalists holding him down (who's dumb idea was it to throw an imprisoned earthbender underground?) with a crack in the earth, sending them flying through the air. He runs and deflects more of them, throwing rocks and rumbling the ground beneath them because he's angry, he's running so fast and he's _so _determined to do away with anyone who let that scream escape her lips.

They all aren't behind him though because when he finally jerks his way to the right, only a few more paces and he'll be there, there's a group of about six, glowing eyes, faces shut up tight beneath expressionless features, ready to point their fingers and lead his defeat right into a metal cell.

As if they haven't grown old and tired of this, this war going on for so many years. It could've been just yesterday that Korra had arrived at Republic City, had come to learn airbending, but realized she was going to learn so much more. It had been ten long years and the Equalists had not given up, and naturally, neither had Korra. Everyone had decided to fight with her, against the anti-bending people, until peace was finally put together.

None of them could have foreseen this. He had never intended to punish anyone until he had punished the Avatar.

Bolin stepped forward and pushed the earth forward too, sending the Equalists wobbling this way and that, but they kept on their feet, advancing forward and pressing up against Bolin trying to get to his pressure points. He was use to it, of course, having been through years of it, and they've been getting older and slower, so by the second time that had tried to corner him, he was able to shift his focus and knock their feet right from under them—literally.

He shot through the bundle of people on the ground and ran towards the room he swore Jinora was in. He skidded toward a stop right before he could plunge to the jagged bottom. Jinora was there, fallen with her hands tucked under her head, as if she were asleep, on a rather large rocky ledge in the middle of a rockless pit. Very down below held jagged, sharp-edged rock, but above held nothing but air. It was as if the ground simply imploded.

"Jinora?" Bolin called urgently but quietly. She didn't answer, didn't even stir, and a panic rose up in Bolin's chest. She looked so helpless, so fragile, and it actually could have made him sick if he weren't so busy trying to find a way toward her. He could not bend the rock beneath him to glide himself over to her, there was nothing to help hold him up if he took one step further, rock as his guide or not.

He could always wait for Korra to come find them, which was not hard because she was tied up and bound here with him before they managed to get free and she had run off to go find Mako. He felt the earth crumble as she dug through and out of it to get outside. She left him with a promise, a promise that she would come back as soon as she found a way to infiltrate the area around them again. He had her word, and he trusted her.

But he knew she was not coming back this early on. And Jinora was lying there, her breathing was slowing, and she was not answering his desperate calls.

There was always simply getting himself a running start and flinging himself onto the rock, and even he knew that was the most ridiculous idea ever, but really, what other option did he have? The middle wasn't _that_ far off seeing as the room wasn't very big anyway. Bolin looked behind him at the mostly unconscious Equalists and prayed that they wouldn't wake up any time soon. He stepped back a few feet, putting a few inches between them before he took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could, lunging himself forward when he felt nothing underneath him.

He tried closing his eyes but it felt too horrible so he blinked them open to realize that that wasn't the best idea either. He was falling, as if the air was physically taking hold and pulling him back, back, back, until he was really in the middle of the space between him and Jinora. He clamped his eyes shut again and reached out with his arms, flailing them around to find rock. He knuckles collided roughly with earth and he held on, a shaky, nervous half gasp, half laugh escaping his lips. He opened one eye and found himself staring at the end of a large piece of rock, narrowing and sliding downward near the sharp edged ones at the bottom. The only thing keeping hold of him was the hands holding onto dear life at the edge of the ledge.

He didn't even try to pull himself forward, he knew that his hands would only slip and send him falling. He cried out desperately to her, loud enough to wake a dozen sleeping koala sheep and send them into a frenzy.

"Jinora! Jinora, can you hear me? Please, I am slipping here, I am going to fall and I am going to die and then you'll have nobody get mad at when they accidentally interrupt your meditating!"

Again, there was no answer, and he was already slipping. He knew this would go wrong, he knew he was an idiot for even thinking that flying through the air when he was both not an airbender and not going to land on not-so-soft yet not-so-jagged as those rocks below would get him safely _anywhere_. But he still hoped for Jinora, because he knew she was still breathing.

"I can seriously imagine you giggling into your mouth at how stupid I sound right now. Because you're awake and your hand is just hovering right on top of mine, waiting for the point where I'll break down and beg for your saving grace. I probably sound like an idiot right now, but when don't I?" he laughed humorlessly to himself and bit his lip. "I'm just saying…" he fought in the back of his mind for words, explanations, something he could tell her as his hand slipped forward. "I don't know when Korra will be back, but when she is, you need to scream as loud as you can to get her to find you, we're in pretty deep. I—I'm sorry I couldn't, well, couldn't find you sooner."

Bolin's hand slipped again and he gasped and dug his fingers into the earth angrily until they settled into a groove and stayed there letting him hang on the edge.

"Wait…" he bent his fingers lower into the earth and tested the groove, pulling back into the rock he did not force into itself. It didn't budge. Bolin stretched his arm as far up as he could, veins spreading out around his arm like they were about to pop any second. He concentrated and dug his fingers into the earth again and lifted himself higher so that his wrists were knocking against the edge.

"Bolin?" Jinora's faint whisper rang through his ears like sirens. He smiled and the pressure of his fingers dug themselves into more of the rock.

"Jinora, can you help pull me up? Oh, I'm so glad you're awake, you have no idea. Are you okay? I heard you scream. What happened, you have to tell me! Korra isn't here, but she will be soon."

He felt Jinora's small fingers grab his and lift, but she obviously wasn't strong enough to pull his whole weight. She grasped his hand and pulled as hard as she could which got his eyes to read over the edge and peer at her. Her hair was a mess, flying about her head. Her eyes looked tired and scared. Bolin's own eyes narrowed in immediate concern and he grasped as far as he could reach with his hand, almost toward Jinora's knee, and dug into the rock, heaving himself up so that he could get his own knee over and have him safely on top of the rock next to her.

"Oh, Bolin," she gasped and threw her arms around his torso, her head leaving itself in the crook of his neck, her breath hot and fast on his skin. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.

"Jinora are you okay? What happened? Why did the ground collapse? How did you get in the middle here?"

"Amon—" Jinora sobbed and even though she was trying to hold them in, a few tears escaped and landed on Bolin's hand. She ran a hand over her nose and sniffed. "Amon was here, and then all of a sudden I…" she looked around curiously. "I just woke up, I don't remember. I just remember him here and now he's not."

"Oh, you have your glider, good," Bolin sighed in relief at the staff lying next to her. "I may be a little heavy, though, with all this muscle," he flashed a grin and side-glanced her. She was frowning, looking at her glider.

"Bolin," Jinora whispered. Her hand clutched his tightly and another splash of tears hit his hand, but now she was really crying, not holding back. With her eyes shut tight, she pulled herself closer to him and sobbed into his shoulder, trembling slightly.

"Jinora, shh, it's okay, we'll get out of here," he whispered, his arms wrapping around her, his fingers rubbing her back softly.

"No, we can't!" she yelled, her voice cracking causing her to cough as she let out another sob. Her fingers thread through his jacket and pulled him closer to her. "We can't, we can't, oh, I'm _so_ _sorry_, Bolin, I can't believe—this can't be—he couldn't have…"

"Jin, calm down, okay?" he heard himself soothing her, but his voice didn't sound soothing at all. It sounded nervous, he felt nervous. What was he nervous about? There was nothing, absolutely nothing to be nervous about. They were getting out. Jinora would airbend them out with her glider, everything was fine.

"I can't, I'm so sorry, Bolin, I'm so sorry, dad, grandfather Aang, I can't believe this, I can't do it, I can never…" she was shaking, shaking her head, her whole body, trembling next to him, and he was sure he was too.

"Jinora," he fought the idea, fought the terrible thought racing through his mind at lightning speed. Amon had been here, Amon had hurt her, ripped her apart, she couldn't, no, she was okay, she was fine, she could get us out. Jinora, she could… she could, she could, she couldn't… Jinora couldn't what?

"He took it out of me," she whispered, her lips, her breath right in his ear, lifeless, powerless, hopeless. "He took it right out of me, Bolin. He took my bending,"

Note: WOW THIS IS SHORTER THAN I THOUGHT LOL OH WELL


	2. Two

When she jumps, she closes her eyes.

The water captures her, a sinister welcome. As if there is a waterbender pulling the water back to make room for her. Descending further, the water pushes itself toward her, above her, all over. She crosses her legs under her, fists together, and relaxes.

It's a fight for survival. The water feeds off of the oxygen, takes it and builds itself stronger. Water tackles air and wins. Her lungs beg for the oxygen, beg for the release. Jinora does not move, does not push herself. She stays floating, relaxing.

Sinking.

**o o o o**

Thank the spirits he looked over. He can't even imagine what would've happen if he didn't. He had come over like he always had, Tenzin mentioning he thought he saw her go down by the water. If he hadn't have looked, she could have drowned. And he suspected that, by the looks of her stance, her back straight, hands still tucked together, that she wouldn't have even noticed until it was too late.

He plunged into the water and reached down, searching frantically for her arm. He couldn't tell how deep she was under until his hand eventually brushed damp cloth telling him she was about half way. He clutched her arm, he couldn't even imagine she'd feel it if he was holding on too hard, and yanked her up. Her eyes were still closed as he lifted her over the edge onto the ground and turned her onto her side.

"Jinora, please, _please_," he whispered frantically, hitting her back repeatedly. "Why didn't I ever learn CPR? '_I'll never need to know it_,' yeah, Bolin, _totally_, of course you'll never need to know it, it's not like it'll help now—"

He was interrupted by her coughing, her hands flying toward her mouth. Bolin's breath caught as he hit her back more, helping her get on her knees to get all the water out. She sniffed and took a large breath, looking away from him.

"What were you doing?" he demanded yet his touch was soft, searching for some place to hold her, to let her know that she was safe, despite his tone. Jinora gulped and coughed again, sitting down with her back to him.

"This is air," Jinora spat and threw her hands up. "I don't deserve it."

"_What?_"

"You all think I forgot. I didn't bury it deep into the back of my head like the rest of you, Bolin. I was weak. I am—" she gritted her teeth in annoyance "—I _was_ a master airbender. I failed, I lost, I can't, I don't…"

"Stop that," Bolin whispered. He brushed her hair away from the back of her neck, making small circles with his thumb on her skin. "Stop. You know…" he sighed. Every day he came to visit, every day he tried to say something hopeful to her, there would always be that one thing she would say about herself that told him she wasn't as okay as she led on. Jinora was always quiet, always hiding behind a book, but this time her silence meant a whole new thing.

"You're the best person I know, Jin," he bent down and placed a light kiss on her neck. "Your bending… just because it's not a part of you anymore doesn't make you weak. I know you fought him as best as you could. Amon is good, he's smart, we all know that."

"It's different. We're smart too. Korra's smart. We're supposed to win and yet it's been ten years. I'm not the only one," she paused. "I'm not the only one who can't bend anymore. I-It's going to happen again. He's only getting stronger."

"This isn't one of your books, Jinora," he said gently. "The bad guys win sometimes—"

"You've given up," her voice is raspy and barely audible, as if just the mere aspect of talking tires her. Her body goes rigid against him. She doesn't say sorry that he found her like this. She doesn't give him that light she used to, bouncing happily on her toes. Her hair is cut short, like she used to have it when she was younger, but it's choppy, not important. Most nights, he doesn't leave until she has fallen asleep, yet there are still dark circles under her eyes the next day. He loves her, he always will, but he hates this. Nobody seems to realize that she really isn't okay. They try to ignore it out of pity but he knows she needs someone. She's breaking.

"No, Jin," She looks over at him and he smiles sadly. "That's you."

**o o o o**

Bolin sees her standing off in the distance, her eyes watching her father in his usual teaching stance with her siblings mimicking his moves. He feels the air they're making make its way towards them, ruffling his hair at the same time he sees hers dance. Her arms are crossed, her lips pressed tight together. They can't see her but they must know she's there. Her presence is too strong.

"Hey, Jinora," he smiles cheekily, planting a kiss on her temple. "How're you?"

"They didn't even ask," she spats. Bolin flinches. Meelo is shouting about leaves and Ikki is trying to describe a move that her father refuses to teach yet, but she wants to show it off to her younger siblings, resisting the urge to fit it all into one sentence.

"They're just trying to protect you," It doesn't sound right. Of course they are, but it's not what she deserves. They're isolating her. He loves her family, ever since Korra introduced Mako and him to them years back, but sometimes he wishes he could take Jinora away with him and _not_ keep her locked tight. He would let her talk all about the airbending moves she used to do, her favorites and even the ones she claimed to hate, she thought they were too easy, but he could tell she still liked them from the way her eyes would shine. There could not be one thing she hated about airbending.

"I don't need protection. I know more than Ikki. I could tell them."

"Why don't you go over there then? Come on," he grabbed her hand and started walking.

"No!" she yanks her hand away and steps back. "No, do you know what they would do? They're always so quiet about airbending around me. Dad'll just end the lesson, make up some casual excuse. They don't want me there, or they would've asked."

"Maybe if you put yourself out there, though, let them know it's okay. I think they're just a little shaken up, still. They don't know if _you're_ okay with it."

"_They're_ shaken up?" her voice cracks as she laughs. It's a cruel laugh, without the humor and the joy in it. Just an empty noise resounding from her throat. "_I'm _the one who can't airbend anymore, Bolin! _I'm _the one who's lost! I can talk about bending even without it. I don't know how, but I can. They're fine, like they've always been. Except around me. My whole family, our whole lifestyle, is surrounded by airbending. We have the temple, we have the air acolytes, we have the traditions. They've forgotten I'm here because I don't have that anymore. I'm not a part of them."

"You are. They just don't know…"

"How do I make them know?" she pouts, her nose crinkling, something he knows she does when she's trying not to cry. "How do I let them know that it's okay without actually telling them? They stop talking anytime I come up."

"Jinora, you need to be assertive. You need to tell your dad that you're going to help teach your brothers and not wait for him to give an answer. They need to see that you're okay with bending. All you've done is hide and keep quiet and they don't know. It's hurting you but what's hurting more is not taking action."

"It's not going to work."

"Have you even tried? Look, I hate seeing you like this. Your hand is cold, you're tired, and you're lacking all the strength and the courage you always used to have. I don't believe in standing back and watching. I believe in fighting and making a place for myself. Sometimes that makes me feel uncomfortable; sometimes it makes others feel uncomfortable. But it's _good_. You're never going to be able to face your family if you don't go out there."

He can practically see the gears working through what he said in her head. She hesitates but she knows he isn't going to have it. _I'm helping her_, he tells himself. This is good. All he wants is to see her happy again. Happy with her family. It's all she wants, too, but Amon, her lack of bending has made her scared to do things. He gets it. Without earthbending, he hasn't a clue what he would do. _You can't take the bending without taking the bender_, they always said.

"It's a part of you. It'll always be a part of you," he squeezes her hand and she glances up at him. Her lip is tucked beneath her teeth, a look of worry on her face.

"Okay," she breathes and squeezes his hand in response. It's a declaration. She will try. Not for him, although he knows he's part of the reason she agreed. Jinora is smart, sometimes, he thinks, despite their ages being so different, she's smarter than him. She's doing this for herself. She's lonely and all she wants is to find a home that she can stay in. She knows he'll always be there when nothing goes right and all she wants to do is cry. He'll lay back with her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her tightly, as if he could cover her completely; shield her away from everything that hurts her.

He hasn't been there from the start, though. He didn't raise her and help her learn, help her love. He didn't teach her how to smile. She needs her family.

"Go on, I'll stay here," he nods toward the direction of her family. Pema's out now with a tray of snacks. They're laughing at Meelo who tried the airbending move Ikki showed them, but fell on butt in the process. Jinora takes one last look then quickly wraps her arms around him. Bolin picks her up and brushes her hair, his lips grazing her ear. "I'm proud of you," he whispers and sets her on her feet silently.

She's walking toward them when their youngest, an eager learner, just like Jinora, sees her and his smile widens. Pema offers her a sandwich and some lychee juice. Tenzin looks stiff as her siblings crowd around her, discussing their training. It looks as if he's about to say something when her brother spins around and asks her to show him how to do the air ball again.

"I can demonstrate?" she offers awkwardly and Bolin winces but he just nods excitingly as if he hadn't expected anything else. He backs up and watches her closely, as does the rest of her family. She falls into the position naturally, twisting her hands around in a circular motion. There's no air lifting through her fingers but he's completely entranced. She nods for him to try and he copies her stance, eyes crossing as he concentrates and moves his hands the way she did.

Soon, there's a ball of air around his hands, just as the name suggests. Jinora's face brightens and his smile is too wide for his face. He runs into Jinora, throwing his arms around her body, shouting his excitement. Tenzin nods approvingly, Pema ruffles his hair, and already Ikki and Meelo are asking her to show them more of the complicated moves, the ones only she knows. Her stance shifts quickly demonstration after demonstration. Bolin smiles at her knowingly as she looks over at him. He feels everything shift. He sees it. Her siblings mimic the moves she shows them. Tenzin smiles.

And for the first time in weeks, so does she.

**Note**: I feel like I've been switching from past to present tense ugh but I can't really tell when I reread it haha.  
Anyway, all characters belong to Bryke! I know everyone knows that but I just need a tribute to these guys. Geniuses.


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